In some vehicles, such as military vehicles, it is desirable to support the lower legs of a vehicle occupant in a position up off the vehicle floor, by an amount sufficient to avoid floor deformation or upward movement in the event of a mine blast under the vehicle. Specifically, it is desirable to provide a structure that (a) holds the occupant's feet at a location spaced upward from the vehicle floor, while (b) not being rigid enough to transmit a significant amount of force into the occupant's feet when the floor moves suddenly upward. In this manner, the occupant's feet are “isolated” from the floor.
It is known to mount a footrest rigidly on a seat for a vehicle occupant, with the footrest elevating the occupant's feet up off the vehicle floor. It is also known to use an energy absorbing device that constitutes a second floor suspended on airbags, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,431.